Fort Smith Citizens Vie For Spots On Policy-Shaping Panel

As a new deadline approaches, applications are trickling in for a policy-shaping committee of between 20-30 residents tasked with updating Fort Smith's 11-year-old Comprehensive Plan.

As a new deadline approaches, applications are trickling in for a policy-shaping committee of between 20-30 residents tasked with updating Fort Smith’s 11-year-old Comprehensive Plan.

The city had received more than 60 applications as of Monday afternoon. The deadline is Friday.

“I’m very interested in the future of Fort Smith,” said applicant Rocky Walker, a local developer and member of the Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders. “I just think it’s a great opportunity to serve.”

Whitney Yoder, executive vice president of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, said she applied not as a Chamber representative, but as a member of the community.

“I’m interested in the process of getting the community at large to the table,” she said. “I feel we’ve been disconnected as far as the citizens and the city go.”

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee members will spend 18 months reviewing where they’d like to see Fort Smith in the decades to come.

In January, the Fort Smith Board of Directors authorized an agreement with planning consultant Wallace Roberts & Todd LLC for the Comprehensive Plan update. Cost to the city is $339,976.

The first Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2002 was described as the city’s policy and planning “bible,” according to Planning Director Wally Bailey.

Appointments to the committee were originally on tonight’s Board of Directors meeting agenda. However, the application deadline was extended last week amid debate over whether to include on the committee representatives from institutions such as the Fort Smith School District, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, the Chamber of Commerce, Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority and others.

At-Large Director Pam Weber said she’s not opposed to asking institutions to nominate members for the commission, but she cautioned against creating a special interest group.

“This is supposed to be led by citizens,” she said. “At some point you have to draw the line. Not that I’m opposed to doing it, but I think we’re treading on some thin ice here to make sure everyone is included.”

Ward 1 Director Keith Lau said he was in favor of embracing the representatives.

“I don’t understand the cons of having an institution on that steering committee,” he said. “I want to make sure there is relevance to the ultimate outcome of this report.”

City directors are expected to consider the appointments at a special meeting in March.

“There are some from those groups that are applying,” City Administrator Ray Gosack said. “For example, the FCRA and the school district have nominated someone. Those nominees will be reviewed by the Board of Directors to determine whether or not those persons would be appointed to the steering committee.”

Mayor Sandy Sanders said he wants to see “a wide, diverse group that represents the makeup of Fort Smith.”

“While the steering committee itself needs to represent Fort Smith and the diverse nature of our city, there will be opportunity for anybody and everybody to weigh in,” Sanders said.

Resident Joel Culberson, who served on an animal task force in 2011, is in the running for the new committee. Last year, he spearheaded a successful petition to let voters citywide weigh in on trash service.

“I really want to have a voice and work with others to help the shape of the community,” said Culberson, 34. “I don’t have a particular agenda; I’m interested in citizen engagement in general.”

In late 2012, it was suggested that results from the first citizen survey in five years be addressed in part through the updated Comprehensive Plan.

The survey was mailed in late summer to about 1,200 households; 324 were returned for a 29 percent response rate.

Fort Smith ranked higher than the benchmark in two service areas, similar in 15 and lower in 20. Less than half of the respondents rated the overall direction of the city of Fort Smith as excellent or good.

Prospective Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee members must live within the city and be registered to vote.

“They need to be prepared to meet monthly, but there may be points in the process where they don’t meet that frequently,” Gosack said. “There may also be some activities between meetings.”

For information, call Wendy Beshears at (479) 784-2201 or email wbeshears@fortsmithar.gov. Applications also are available online at fortsmithar.gov under “boards & commissions.”